In Japan, there aren't many public holidays that fall consecutively, so lots of people don't have a large block of time to travel, visit family etc. Combined with the obsessive work culture here, most Japanese people don't take very much time off.
There is one time, though, when some national holidays fall within a few days of each other, giving most people the longest vacation period of the year. This is called Golden Week (dubbed by Japanese film studios in the 50s), and it typically starts at the very end of April and lasts through the first weekend in May. Depending on when the weekend falls in the calendar, Golden Week can give people more or less time off.
Unfortunately this year Showa Day (which kicks off Golden Week) fell on a Tuesday, meaning everyone had to go into work on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Then on Sunday and Monday there were two other national holidays, so the one that fell on a Sunday was bumped to Tuesday. Long story short: only 3 weekdays were national holidays this year, and they were broken up by two working days, which sucked.
Needless to say, lots of people bolted from their offices after work on Friday and crammed into trains, buses and highways to get to their travel destinations. I was no exception. A friend of mine invited me to go on a road trip of southern Hokkaido. I brought along one of my JET neighbors and friends, as did she. So all four of us set out from Muroran on Saturday morning in her car, bound for Matsumae and anything else in between. (See pictures from the trip here.)
This was one of those lax road trips, where we'd stop whenever we saw something interesting, or would drive up a country road just to see what's there. This is my favorite kind of trip, because there's so much serendipity and freedom to do what you want, when you want. Also everyone in our car got along well, and we all enjoyed doing similar things. To top it all off, the cherry blossoms started to bloom, making the ride through the countryside magnificent.
From Muroran, we headed south and then west to the Sea of Japan. Our goal was to eat lunch in the seaside town of Esashi, pass through Matsumae to see the cherry blossoms, and sleep at a JET's apartment in Fukushima. It just so happened that Esashi town was holding a little festival, complete with local food stalls and music. I indulged in some of my favorite Japanese foods: soba noodles and takoyaki (octopus in fried batter).
After Esashi we headed further down the coast and stopped to walk along the rocky shoreline and discover some beautiful camping areas. By the time we got to Matsumae, the sun was starting to set, but it made a gorgeous backdrop for the cherry blossoms. Matsumae was the feudal capital of Hokkaido and was home to the Matsumae clan, which started settling the island (and killing off the native Ainu) in the 1600s and 1700s. Hence it is the only place in Hokkaido that has a Japanese-style castle and a traditional temple complex. Combined with the beautiful flowers, it was an enchanting time to visit.
From Matsumae, we drove around the southernmost point of Hokkaido, where we could see the neighboring big island of Honshu across the Tsugaru Strait. Once we crossed this area, we were on the Pacific side of the peninsula and were headed north toward Fukushima. On the way we stopped at an onsen (hot spring) to get clean and to relax from the long car ride.
Fukushima is a really nice little town, nestled between the sea and mountains. It seemed that the largest industry (like many other small villages in Hokkaido) was squid fishing. There were a lot of squid boats in the harbor, and the seafood was among the best I've ever had in Japan. That evening we asked a convenience store worker to recommend a good place to eat. She pointed us to a remarkable little family-run izakaya (bar/restaurant) down the street. This place was one of the coziest and most friendly places I've ever been to in Japan.
It was decorated with a fishing theme, complete with squid fishing lights, nets, buoys etc. And the old lady who ran it was so kind to us, and was so honored and tickled that four foreigners would choose to eat at her restaurant that night. Because we spoke some Japanese, were ordering lots of food and loved seafood, she gave us a number of free local dishes. One of my favorite dishes was grilled "hoki" (whiting), which is a fish cut in half, gutted, and then dried for a few days. Then it's grilled and served hot, skin-side down. Here's an example:
Another excellent dish she gave us was char-grilled squid. It wasn't tough like I expected it to be, and she sliced it horizontally, almost completely through. The slices allowed you to pull off a strip of squid and eat it with your hands, without having to pick up the whole thing and nibble on it. Served this way, squid makes a nice appetizer and is yummy! Here's another example of what it looks like:
On this trip I ate well and enjoyed the fresh local seafood. (In fact, when I got back to Sapporo I started making hoki and grilled squid for dinner!) I probably ate too much during the trip, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to sample the regional dishes.
Also I learned a little bit about squid fishing. Fishermen go out at night and drop electric lights into the water, which attract the squid. It's also the livelihood of many people that live along the coasts of southern Hokkaido. Here's a picture of some squid fishing boats in Esashi:
After a delightful dinner and overnight stay in Fukushima, we got up the next morning and drove north to Hakodate. Hakodate is the third largest city in Hokkaido, however it has a more urban feel than its rivals Asahikawa (number 2) and Sapporo (number 1). It's hard to describe, but Hakodate feels more distinct and separate than other cities in Hokkaido do. Perhaps because this port city is a five-hour drive from Sapporo, and it's fairly isolated by bays, mountains and a rocky coastline. The city is also a bit older than Sapporo is, so it has a nice collection of European churches and a more Western vibe. Also the city streets aren't laid out in a grid pattern like Sapporo, and the downtown area is located on a peninsula with a mountain at the end of the peninsula. This gives the city two nice beaches and a mountain recreation area. Here's a cloudy picture from the ropeway station at the top of Mt. Hakodate:
We climbed Mt. Hakodate instead of taking the ropeway. The top of the mountain was clouded in, so we didn't get very many good views of the city. But it was a nice 45-minute hike to the top, and we took a nature trail down to the foot of the mountain afterward.
The weather unfortunately began to change as we climbed the mountain, as a storm approached from the south. Luckily we got off the mountain and into the downtown area before the rain started. We holed up in an izakaya for a few hours and then took the train back to the place we were staying. (Another JET graciously put us up that night!)
The next morning we woke up and drove out to the Kameda Peninsula point. This is a rocky area east of Hakodate that juts out into the bay between Aomori and Hokkaido. Jude wanted to see some of the onsens out there, particularly a natural outdoor one built literally next to the sea. We probably would have gone for a dip in it, but the weather was harsh and the tide was coming in, cooling off the water.
After driving around both sides of the cape, we headed inland and went to Lake Onuma. It's about a 40 minute drive north of Hakodate, with lots of camping spots, onsens and a large mountain (Mt. Komagatake) overlooking the lake. In Hokkaido it's kind of a well-known place.
We decided to camp there that night, and low and behold: two other Sapporo JETs who live in my building pulled into the very same campground! It was really nice to run into Scott there, and I also got to briefly say hi to Matt Roy, who I first met in August when we climbed Tokachidake in Daisetsuzan National Park. (We also ran into Sapporo JETs in Hakodate at a burger place and in one of the parks!) It's a very small world up here in Hokkaido!
After we pitched our tent, it started to rain. The four of us stayed in one big tent that night, which was the best way to stay warm and dry. We waited out the storm by playing cards and later going for a walk and a dip in an onsen. But the time we got back that night, the wind really picked up and we had a full-blown storm on our hands. The tent buckled and swayed while the rain came pouring down. Luckily the tent didn't leak, and none of the poles snapped. At first I was a little bit disturbed by the weather, but then I got used to it and thought it was a pretty cool experience. In fact I slept better that night than I had previous nights.
During a break in the storm, though, we all decided to go pee at once. The rain let up for a few minutes, but the wind continued to blow strong. So we all lined up at the tent door, put on our shoes, and dashed to the tree line. After peeing, everyone ran back to the tent as quickly as possible. It was kind of funny how we all decided to go at once, and how quickly we did it! But it relieved us and we didn't get stuck in the rain nor wake each other up. Now that's what I call organization! :-)
Morning came early (this time of year the sun starts rising around 5:30AM) and we woke up to a beautiful day. The storm had blown itself out, and we had clear blue skies over the lake. After packing up the tent and our stuff, we drove into the small town on the lake and did a little nature walk along some of the islands in the lake. Near the shore, there are a series of very small, interconnected islands where you can get a great view of the mountain and lake shore. A lot of Japanese people were taking pictures, and there were people renting tandem bicycles and riding them down the bike path along the shoreline. Overall, it turned out to be a very nice morning.
We had a few snacks from the local vendor, and then went on our way north, back toward Muroran. Along the way there was a fair amount of traffic, but we still made good time and even managed to visit a spectacular little onsen up in a river gorge not far from the sea. It had a very nice outside onsen, and the food they served there was great. Behind the onsen there was a park golf course nestled among blooming cherry trees. We took a stroll around the trees and, feeling refreshed, finished the drive back to Muroran.
Again the weather changed and the sky grew dark as we approached Muroran. But it didn't rain too much, and the scenery was nice. In Muroran, Ian and I caught a bus back to Sapporo. Like our trip to Muroran, the return bus was filled to capacity. (When there are no more seats left on Japanese coach buses, they fill the aisle with passengers. Little jump seats fold out of the main seats, making room for another 30 people or so... This would totally be against the law in the US for safety reasons, but in Japan people don't sue, so there's no worries...)
Ian and I were tired when we got back to Sapporo, but we both agreed it had been an awesome trip. Ian was eager to return to the area with his motorcycle to explore some of the windy mountain roads. I want to return to sample more of the local food and climb Komagatake. Also I wouldn't mind spending a few more days in Hakodate.
So this long weekend was golden indeed. Thanks to Jude and her car, I had a rare chance to tour an area of Hokkaido that I normally wouldn't be able to do myself. (I don't have a car nor a drivers license.) I discovered some great camping areas and also some nice towns to visit in the future. Perhaps I'll hitchhike down there and explore some more before I go back the the US. Either way, it was a great experience and I really enjoyed the opportunity to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Japan. There really is nothing quite like it, and I can totally understand why they call this time of year "Golden Week."
